Thanks for stopping by Refresh with Dawn Herring. I hope you enjoy browsing through the postings and get to know me a bit better.
I'm Dawn Herring, host of #JournalChat Live and Links Edition for all things journaling on Twitter and Facebook. I'm also a writer and artist focused on refreshment, journaling, and positive change. Email me at refreshwithdawnherring@gmail.com with any questions or comments you may have. Thanks and enjoy your stay!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

A Key is often viewed as a symbol of enabling that may unlock the door of new opportunity.

I know when I see a key, like an old fashioned one on an art journal page or rendered in a decorative item in a retail store, it catches my eye.

We use keys every day to lock or unlock the door of our homes, our cars, our businesses.

But what about our Golden Key, the one associated with our creativity, our inspiration and even our divine destinies?

I love the sound of a Golden Key. It holds such promise. It initiates mystery and intrigue. And adventure.
Like discovering a locked box that holds gold inside. And finding the Golden Key that will unlock it so we can have access to all of that richness.

But we already have one. Right Now. At our fingertips.

You know it when you engage in it. There is never a moment wasted. You find yourself revived, invigorated, with a new appreciation for your creativity and personal expression.

But most of the time, we feel compelled to do everything else but engage in that Golden Key.
We feel irresponsible taking time away from the obligations that call to us every single day.

But sometimes we just have to make up our minds to Make Space.

Even if that means to let go of something, at least for a little while, that you really want to accomplish.
Of course, a move like that can be scary, feel outside our comfort zone. We wonder what will happen to that project we started that led to frustration because deep inside, we knew what we really wanted to be doing.

But here's a secret that can give you instant motivation to engage in that Golden Key Right Now: when you take the time to unlock that door and explore and dive deep and delight in what enlivens you, it will ultimately enhance the very project you had to let go of in the first place. You will find more creative ideas coming to you, more inspiration and direction you didn't have before. While you are enjoying, experimenting and discovering, you will find an openness that gets activated that was previously closed to your understanding.

In other words, Your Golden Key will unlock the richness of what you need to make everything else Come Alive.

When I discovered this more so than ever recently, I was elated, delighted, excited and thrilled. And then I wanted to engage in My Golden Key even more so. Knowing I was listening to my Authentic Self and giving honor to what really matters to me, what opens my heart.

Which can only enhance my life in all of its dimensions.

So, what is Your Golden Key? Have you found it yet? Listen carefully to what inspires you, what delights you, what intrigues you, and even what breaks you out of your comfort zone.

That's where you Inner Wisdom, your Light, your Inspiration, or even where your Life Purpose resides.
Now that's certainly something worth making time for.

Let Your Golden Key Unlock The Treasures Of Your Heart.
Then Watch Your World Come Into Full Bloom.

Accountability: to give a reckoning or explanation for one’s actions, responsible.

When most people think of accountability, they often negatively associate it with answering to others, such as a spouse, a friend, a mentor, or, in most cases, a boss. As a writer, you are your own boss, which is one of the reasons that you need to be accountable to yourself. And it can be a positive experience rather than a negative one.

The first step in being accountable to yourself as a writer is setting goals for your writing and keeping track of projects you want to finish. Incurring a deadline for yourself can help

motivate you in this area. This step can also include daily writing goals. Some authors plan how many words or pages per day they will write.

I’ve set goals for myself as a writer by making them reachable and attainable. This year I have set a goal to write at least one scene for my novel per week and at least one other piece,

whether it be memoir or essay, per week. That can mean just making notes, writing a first draft, or revising a draft.

As long as your goals keep you moving forward and you’re making progress, then you know you’re headed in the right direction.

Once you have your goals set, the next step in accountability to yourself is writing down what you accomplish each day. You can use a daily calendar just for writing or keep track of your

daily accomplishments on your computer. I designed a custom monthly writing calendar. It helps me track what I write daily, whether or not I’ve met my goal for the week, and it has

space for ideas for future writing pieces. I also have a spot to keep track of books I’m reading for that month. I use abbreviations to keep the daily writing easier and to save space. As I review each completed month, I can go back to see what I’ve accomplished and keep track of when I wrote each piece.

Whether you use something pre-made or customize something for yourself, use whatever works for you and helps you stay accountable to yourself.

A third, and perhaps most important, aspect in accountability in your writing is taking care of yourself as a writer. Than can mean giving yourself space and not being hard on yourself if

you don’t reach your goals each day or each week.

Flexibility and refreshment are paramount to your health as a writer. It also frees up your creativity and can actually help you produce more quality writing in the long run.

I enjoy writing in my journal, reading fiction or memoir, and watching a good movie with my family. Taking a walk, listening to music, talking with your family members, and just taking time to sit and enjoy life are all ways you can be good to

yourself—and ultimately accountable—as a writer.

Learn to celebrate your accomplishments and your uniqueness as a writer. That’s one of the best ways to be accountable—to yourself!

A 21 Day Refresh Intensive E-Course!

Dawn is now offering a 21 Day Refresh Intensive Course that enables you to Activate Your Intuition, Honor Your Preferences and Listen to Your Life Messages. It is available for purchase as a downloadable PDF so you can take it any time for your refreshment!

About Me

Dawn is a watercolor and collage artist, writer, Host of #JournalChat Live and Creative and Social Media Consultant. She enjoys sharing insights, humor, and encouragement as she shares from her life experiences. She enjoys keeping a journal and reading spiritual texts to help keep the light on. Hope you enjoy perusing the blog posts and in the process, get to know her a bit better. Enjoy your stay!

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My Website: www.dawnherring.net

You can check out my website: www.dawnherring.net. There you will find info on my writing services, my bio and journaling resources and my book, The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child. Enjoy your stay!

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#JournalChat Live is on the First Sunday of each month at 4 EST/1 PST on Twitter. Check out my new blog to sign up for Refresh Journal which will give you all the details!

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If you desire to discover what Your Authentic Refreshment might be so you can enhance and benefit your life, you'll welcome to purchase a 30 minute Refresh Session with Dawn **by phone or Skype, initiating the discovery process toward Your Authentic Refreshment. (A 30 Minute Refresh Session is $75.)

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My eBook: The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child

I'm so excited to share with you my new ebook, The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child.

The Birthday Wall is my detailed, step-by-step instructional book that shows how to create a multi-dimensional, colorful visual collage to help celebrate your child's Birthday. As creator of this family tradition, I share how to research, plan, gather, create and display all the elements of your child's birthday wall which can help affirm, validate, and show appreciation for your child.

Follow this link which takes you to the Parent to Parent page of HSLDA's Home School Court Report. In their Sept/Oct 2009 edition and on this page, My reason for Homeschooling has been published under Dawn H. You're welcome to check it out!